The Perfect Nothing

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. - Socrates

Everything begins with nothing, the blank canvas or the empty page. To value anything, to be at one with its power, we must know it and in knowing, understand. Unlike the artist that imprints themselves into their work, we begin by adding nothing. As soon as we add ourselves to anything, we become blinded by ourselves.

This stage is learning to pause, still our thoughts, and halt the momentum that keeps us moving on autopilot. The ability to mentally stop, just for a moment, is a foundation stone essential to breaking the chains.

Take a breath and force yourself into the 'stop!'. Imagine the word 'stop' spoken in your ear or a sharp sound.
Free yourself from the prison of words
Close your eyes, if you can, and visualize a stop sign or red light.
Block out external sounds.
Ignore your tactile sensation.
If you have a taste in your mouth, imagine it to be paper.
Angry, turn to ice.
Happy, temper it with a sad memory.
Needs, imagine them fulfilled.
Satisfied, visualize them gone.
Scared, find feelings of safety.
Secure? Find your fear.
Hate, steal it away with compassion.
Love, become stone.
Find the null place.


Practice holding this state for one minute, changing when and where you practice. If you follow the list in a particular order, then alter it. We are aiming to achieve a null state of mind regardless of the circumstances. You are mentally creating a blank canvas, repeating the exercises until they come easy. As your ability grows, try extending and reducing the duration at will. Make your 'stop' perfect.